Unlike past years, the locker room doesn't have loose talk regarding women. Or harsh rap lyrics being recited. Or talk of hitting the clubs after the game.

"On this team, we do positive things," James Jones said. "All the guys here in their free time are engaged in something positive or a trouble-less activity. So if a guy asks us to join him, we don't ever feel compromised of having to go into that situation. You don't have to worry about trouble, you don't have to worry about stress, because at the end of the day, you know you are going to have fun and enjoy the situation you are in."

They talk of going to movies. About their kids. Whether so-and-so is going to get married. What they want to do after their careers are over.

"I think all of our attitudes really mesh well," Steve Blake said. "No one thinks they are better than anyone else. There are no prima donnas, no one is too big for each other. We all just enjoy being around each other and talking."

And I think an underrated part of the team's chemistry is coach Nate McMillan. He has done a good job adapting to this group, realizing they are special and letting them be. He will never admit it, but I also think McMillan has let his guard down more this year.

"Nate has closed that gap between coach and player," Jones said. "He's out there (in practice) running sprints, running three-man weave, cracking jokes, laughing at our jokes, laughing at jokes we make of him. It's rare, you don't find that very often."

Just like you don't find this type of team chemistry very often.

"All the great teams have great chemistry, and these guys have good chemistry on the court but they really like each other off the court, too," assistant Bill Bayno said. "You don't have to have that to be a good team and to have on-court chemistry. But a lot of teams have good on-court chemistry but then go their own separate ways after the game. But these guys genuinely care about each other and they enjoy being around each other. They have fun."